Bad Axe graduate Gebauer snags Big Ten pole vault title

On Sunday, at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Gebauer finally realized his goal with a personal best jump of 17-3/4.

"It really hasn't set in yet that I'm a Big Ten champ," said Gebauer.

What makes it even better for Gebauer was the fact that a couple of months ago he didn't think he would even have an opportunity to compete in the outdoor season.

During the start of the indoor season, Gebauer suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the entire season. It was one of the most difficult times in his entire career, but one of the most important, as well.

Up until that point, Gebauer knew he had the talent, but had failed to live up to his lofty expectations he set for himself.

However, being injured gave him time to think and wonder what he had to do differently to be the best. It didn't take him long to figure out the problem.

"I hadn't necessarily been working really hard," he said. "I was doing what I need to get by. Before the injury, I was just going through the motions.

"The injury gave me time to think and motivated me to get back to the level I was at in high school where I was able to dominate."

Gebauer's coach, Will Wabaunsee, also noticed what needed to change.

"Being injured may have been the best thing that could have happened to him," said Wabaunsee. "He wasn't ready to do the things he had to do to be great.

"Once he re-evaluated himself and put it all in order, he just seemed to take off from there."

What was more frustrating to Gebauer was the winning jump at the Big Ten Indoor Championships was 16-10, a jump he knew he could have easily reached.

"To see someone go out there and clear a height you know you could do was very frustrating," he said.

However, all of that frustration and wondering what could have been disappeared on Sunday - but it wasn't easy.

The event came down to Gebauer and Wisconsin vaulter Darren Niedermeyer. Gebauer and Niedermeyer exchanged vaults, but Gebauer always seemed to be trailing.

Gebauer missed his first attempts at 16-5 and 16-9 while Niedermeyer made his. When the bar moved to 17-3/4, Gebauer turned the tables and made his first attempt, putting the pressure on Niedermeyer, who eventually failed to make it over.

"Originally, I missed my first attempts at 16-5 and 16-9, so I knew I had to make 17-3/4 on my first attempt," Gebauer said. "I knew I had it in me."

With the event in hand, Gebauer decided to go for more and raise the bar to 17-4 3/4, but on his approach, he tweaked his hamstring and had to pull back.

"I just tweaked it a little, but it kind of scared me," he said. "I had already won the meet, so I didn't want to push it."

Added Wabaunsee: "It's a tough thing to win a Big Ten Championship, but Brad is a special person and I knew he could do it."

What makes Wabaunsee even prouder was the hard work that he and Gebauer put in to get to this point.

"It's been a long road for both of us, from just getting him healthy to building his confidence up," Wabaunsee said. "He's always wanted to jump high, but sometimes it takes a little time to put it all together.

"Right now, staying healthy is the key for Brad."

For most athletes, becoming the champion of their conference would be enough, but Gebauer has set his goals even higher.

Gebauer has qualified for the NCAA Regionals and will compete in that event May 28-29 in Baton Rouge, La.

He is hoping to do well enough to qualify for the NCAA Championships which will run from June 9-12 in Austin, Texas.

"This is great to win the Big Ten Championship, but I'm not satisfied, I want to be an All-American. It's going to be tough, but I think I can do it," he said.

"My confidence level is at an all-time high."

His coach believes he can, too.

"Brad's ready to jump even higher, I think he can be up to 18-feet very soon," Wabaunsee said. "I think he's going to surprise some people."

Even with all of his success he's experienced at the collegiate level, Gebauer has stayed true to his roots.

"It means so much to me coming from a small community like Bad Axe," he said. "I would never trade it for anything."